Americans rank the nation's 12 biggest problems

Published 6:30 pm, Friday, March 14, 2014

The pollsters at Gallup ask Americans each month which issue they really think is the biggest problem America faces. These were the top 12 most common answers.

The pollsters at Gallup ask Americans each month which issue they really think is the biggest problem America faces. These were the top 12 most common answers.

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#12(two-way tie) – Income gap between rich and poor: Three percent of Americans polled in March thought the biggest problem Americans face was a growing disproportion between the rich and the poor, and the effect it might have on the nation's middle class. less

#12(two-way tie)– Income gap between rich and poor: Three percent of Americans polled in March thought the biggest problem Americans face was a growing disproportion between the rich and the poor, and the ... more

Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

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#12(two-way tie) – Own lack of money: Three percent of Americans also felt that the average person's poor finances (including their own) was the nation's biggest issue.

#12(two-way tie)– Own lack of money: Three percent of Americans also felt that the average person's poor finances (including their own) was the nation's biggest issue.

#3 – Economy: Seventeen percent of Americans felt fixing the economy should be the nation's top priority.

#3 – Economy: Seventeen percent of Americans felt fixing the economy should be the nation's top priority.

Photo: Pool, Getty Images

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#2 – Dissatisfaction with government/Congress/politicians; poor leadership/corruption/abuse of power: Coming in a close second, 18 percent of Americans felt that poor leadership by the government was America's biggest issue. less

#2 – Dissatisfaction with government/Congress/politicians; poor leadership/corruption/abuse of power: Coming in a close second, 18 percent of Americans felt that poor leadership by the government was ... more

Photo: JEWEL SAMAD, AFP/Getty Images

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#1 – Unemployment/Jobs: Nineteen percent of Americans felt that unemployment was America's biggest problem, down four percent from one month prior but still the nation's no. 1 response.

#1 – Unemployment/Jobs: Nineteen percent of Americans felt that unemployment was America's biggest problem, down four percent from one month prior but still the nation's no. 1 response.

Photo: JAY DIRECTO, AFP/Getty Images

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Americans rank the nation's 12 biggest problems

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Each month, the pollsters at Gallup ask Americans which issue they really think is the biggest problem the nation faces.

Just as in February, the largest number of Americans (19 percent) ranked unemployment as the nation's biggest hurdle to overcome.

ABOVE: Americans rank the nation's worst problems.

In the past six months, concern over jobs has grown from an also-ran, with just 10 percent of Americans calling it their biggest worry, to the top concern overall.

Results for the Gallup poll were based on telephone interviews conducted March 6-9.